Rakuten said can’t use my account if I don’t understand Japanese

[Gabberman]

Hello

Couple years back I set up a Rakuten account. I got a phone call after and they said I cannot use this account since I can’t speak Japanese well. Has anyone had this happen? I want to use it to set up a NISA account but it has put me back a couple of years. Looking for input and a newbie here.

Thanks

[RetireJapan]

Technically this is correct. If you are not able to read and understand the terms and conditions you should not open an account.

In practice if you can get through the sign up process it is fairly easy to use the site using Google translate, a friend, or similar.

I'm not sure if they phone everyone any more, has anyone signed up recently?

[TokyoBoglehead]

Technically this is correct. If you are not able to read and understand the terms and conditions you should not open an account.

In practice if you can get through the sign up process it is fairly easy to use the site using Google translate, a friend, or similar.

I'm not sure if they phone everyone any more, has anyone signed up recently?

2 Years ago, yes they phoned. My wife hovered and whispered answers to anything I was stuck on.

Monex and SBI did not phone at all.

[goran]

Technically this is correct. If you are not able to read and understand the terms and conditions you should not open an account.

In practice if you can get through the sign up process it is fairly easy to use the site using Google translate, a friend, or similar.

I'm not sure if they phone everyone any more, has anyone signed up recently?

Opened an account with Rakuten securities sometime during the Covid, so after 2020 March. I don't recall getting any phone calls.
But I was already using their credit card since 2019. Even then, I don't think there was a phone call.

[Popochi]

Technically this is correct. If you are not able to read and understand the terms and conditions you should not open an account.

In practice if you can get through the sign up process it is fairly easy to use the site using Google translate, a friend, or similar.

I'm not sure if they phone everyone any more, has anyone signed up recently?

I signed up more than half a year ago and they never called me.

They only called me when I tried transferring money into my rakuten securities account since my middle name didn’t match, asking if I’m the one who processed it.

[TokyoWart]

Hello

Couple years back I set up a Rakuten account. I got a phone call after and they said I cannot use this account since I can’t speak Japanese well. Has anyone had this happen? I want to use it to set up a NISA account but it has put me back a couple of years. Looking for input and a newbie here.

Thanks

This is actually what all brokers are supposed to do. They should not allow a customer to have an account if the customer could not be expected to understand the conditions and requirements that account is operating under. For Rakuten my experience was that I was called so they could confirm that I understand Japanese. For some other financial accounts I've had to meet people in person (pre-pandemic) to demonstrate that understanding.